Heart of Iron, Soul of Fire
by Akiko Natsuko
Summary: AU of what happened after episode 40: Titania Falls. Erza isn't rescued from the Tower of Heaven and Natsu finds himself lost in his guilt for failing to save her.
1. Prologue

Welcome to my entry for NaNoWriMo 2014 which is an idea that has been lurking in my file for nearly a year now. I'm just putting the prologue up for now, I might start putting the rest up when I've got a few more chapters written or I might wait until the end of November.

Disclaimer: As always Fairy Tail and its awesome characters don't belong to me, I'm merely borrowing them.

A/N: The bits in italics are from the anime and belong solely to Hiro Mashima.

FT

"_We feel the exact same way. Never do anything like this again…Never again!" _- Natsu

FTFTFTFT

_Prologue:_

Natsu groaned as he slowly came to, his body immediately clamouring for his attention as every injury he'd received came to life in a flash of fire. However, before he could begin to take an inventory of his body he became aware of the violent shaking beneath his body. Fighting the almost instantaneous nausea that welled up at the motion he found the strength to raise his head, eyes widening in alarm as he realised that not only was he still in that thrice-damned Tower of Heaven, but the thing was in the process of coming down around his ears. Suddenly his earlier attempts at destruction didn't seem like such a brilliant idea.

Biting his lip against the pain he tried to raise himself up with shaking arms, nearly falling flat on his face as they threatened to collapse. With sheer stubbornness he locked his elbows so that he remained partially raised, unsure if he could actually make it all the way to his feet. A soft gasp of pain that wasn't his own drew his attention and he glanced up only to feel his heart threatening to stop as his gaze fell on Erza.

"_Erza…"_He whispered with a sense of dawning horror as his gaze moved over her to where her arms were gradually being sucked into the lacrima behind her, his eyes widening as she tensed with pain as she was drawn deeper into the magical container even as he watched.

"_Natsu…" _Despite the quietness of his whisper she had heard it even over the rumble of the collapsing tower, her head whipping round to look at him and he froze as he took the expression of grim determination and guilt on her face.

"_W-what are you doing Erza?" _He asked, although deep down he already knew what she was attempting to do, but he wanted to deny it. There was no way she could be doing something so reckless and idiotic…was there? _"Your body's going into the lacrima…." _He swallowed hard when there was no immediate denial of his worst thoughts, and he felt himself going cold as he realised that she was deliberately letting herself be consumed by the lacrima.

"_This is the only way to stop the Etherion," _her voice was soft and calm, sounding much as she did when discussing the simplest of jobs despite the pain passing across the pain whenever the lacrima contracted around her arm.

"_Stop the Etherion…?" _He asked in confusion wondering just what he'd missed whilst being unconscious._"Yes. Look around us,"_ she gestured around them with her free hand, and Natsu followed it with his gaze, swallowing as the tower deformed in front of his eyes and another deafening rumble echoed around them."_ The etherion is out of control and will destroy the tower in an enormous explosion any minute now!" _She explained, some of the calmness leaving her voice as she fought to stifle the pained cries that were tearing themselves free as she was dragged further in_. "But if I can merge with the Etherion and restrain it…!" _Merge? His eyes went wide as he realised just what it was that she was proposing, especially when he took in the resolution in her eyes.

"_Are you insane?!" _He demanded as horror twisted his expression, his panic lending him the strength to force his battered body to its feet._ "If you do that, you'll…!" _He couldn't even vocalise the thought as he staggered forward, determined to reach her and pull her free before she could continue with this nonsense. As if he'd let her sacrifice herself to save them, especially after everything she had just been through!

Unfortunately his body wasn't as determined as his mind and he'd barely gone a couple of steps before his knees buckled beneath him, sending him toppling to the ground once more with a pained grunt. However, his discomfort was quickly forgotten as she cried out in pain once more, his gaze springing back to her with growing horror as he saw that both of her arms were now inside the lacrima with the rest of her body being dragged after them.

"_Erza!"_

"_Don't worry about a thing. I will stop it!" _She panted through gritted teeth, her earlier calmness disintegrating slightly now that the pain was increasing but there was no wavering in the determined expression on her face, even when she contorted with yet another cry of pain.

"_Stop!" _Each cry of pain was torture for the Dragon-Slayer and he could feel his eyes starting to burn as he desperately dragged himself forward, he lacked the strength to rise fully, but he crawled forward not caring how pathetic he might look._ "Stop! Erza!"_ He was pleading now as more and more of his nakama was disappearing into the lacrima, collapsing in an exhausted heap just short of her and raising desperate eyes to meet hers.

"_Natsu… I can't live without Fairy Tail, I can't even imagine a world without my friends," _she was smiling now as she spoke, reaching out to cup his face with surprising gentleness and for some reason that made everything that much worse. How? How could she smile so happily when she was throwing her life away? The burning in his eyes developing into proper tears now as he realised that she wasn't going to back down on this insane idea.. "_That's how important all of you are to me." That's how important you are to me,_ she added privately as she stared resolutely into his eyes, hating the pain and fear she could see swimming in the olive depths. Of all of them he was the one she least wanted to hurt, and seeing his tears she knew that she had failed in that.

"_Erza,"_ Natsu could barely speak, couldn't she see that everything she said applied to him and the rest of their nakama? Did she really think for a moment that any of them could be happy again if she gave herself up for them? Desperately he fought to find the words to tell her just that, to tell her that she was the heart of Fairy Tail and that there could be no Fairy Tail without her, his gaze falling as he frantically groped for the words that might stop her.

"_If I can save you all, I won't hesitate for even a moment,"_ the confidence and air of finality in her voice forced him to look up once more, an icy shard of terror piercing him when he saw that all that remained free of the lacrima at this stage was her face. Her smile grew wider as she met his gaze with shining eyes as she slowly spread her arms wide in a gesture of offering._ "I will gladly give up this body!"_ She shouted the last bit a second before the rest of face finally slid within the confines of the lacrima, a faint shimmer moving across the surface as it sealed itself against any further intrusion and that finally gave the Dragon-Slayer the strength to move again.

"_Erza! Come out, Erza!" _Natsu pleaded desperately as he slammed his fists against the surface of the lacrima over and over, oblivious to the pain he was inflicting on himself as tears streamed unchecked from his eyes. He could see her floating away from him, a serene smile on her face as she gazed at him for a long moment before her eyes drifted shut and he felt something important inside of him break at that moment.

"_ERZA_!" He howled throwing himself against the lacrima in sheer desperation, unaware of the fresh blood forming on his hands from his frantic attempts to break the vessel. "Erza!" He couldn't breathe, couldn't think as he threw himself again and again against the unyielding barrier keeping him from her. He was blind to the power building around him, or the dazzling light filling the air…his entire being was focused on reaching her…on saving her…even as the Etherion finally exploded around him.

FT

_Natsu…I leave the others in your hands… I'll always be right there with all of you…_

FTFT


	2. Chapter 1

NaNoWriMo 2014

Disclaimer: As always Fairy Tail and its amazing characters don't belong to me, I am just borrowing them.

FTFT

Gray groaned as consciousness came slowly creeping back to him, blinking slowly as he tried to take stock of his body. Everything ached, especially his back, but as he cautiously began to shift it didn't feel as though anything was broken. Relieved he forced himself up into a sitting position, fighting back nausea as the world seemed to swim around him and pain flaring through his back.

"What the hell happened?" He mumbled, glancing around as the world began to settle down and his eyes widened as he realised he was on the beach. His eyes narrowed as he took in the small crater that he was currently occupying and the trail in the sand that led down into the water's edge, realisation struck him as the sight of the waves brought his memories rushing back. _The Tower of Heaven exploding…Erza…Natsu…_

The worry and fear that shot through him alongside those memories jolted him back to his feet despite the pain the movement caused. He glanced around wildly as he searched for the others, recalling how they'd all been swept up in the blast wave from the explosion. Juvia's water bubble had protected them from the worst of the blast, but they had been sent flying wildly over the surface of the sea and his stomach roiled at the memory and for a moment he felt that he understood how Natsu felt when faced with transport. Shaking his head to clear that thought he carefully climbed out of the crater with a frown, clearly the bubble had broken at some point and he just hoped that no one had ended up with worse injuries than him.

"GRAY!" The relieved shout distracted him from his worried thoughts and he whirled around, a sigh of relief escaping as he spotted Happy soaring towards him with Lucy suspended beneath him.

"Happy! Lucy! Are you both okay?" He asked once they had landed next to him, his eyes instinctively darting to the bloody gash on the Celestial Mage's face with a darkening expression on his face. Noticing where his attention had gone Lucy reached up to wipe at the cut, grimacing as her fingers came away bloody before shoving the pain aside with a shrug, there were bigger concerns at the moment.

"We'll live," she replied and the Ice Mage noted the edge in her voice and realised that she didn't want fussing over. "Have you seen the others?" She asked changing the topic, and he could see the terror swimming in the depths of her eyes and he knew that as much as she was worrying about Juvia and Erza's friends, that her thoughts like his were fixated on their missing teammates.

"Not yet," he admitted and her face fell, whilst Happy looked close to tears as he reached out to grasp Lucy's leg with a trembling paw. "Come on we need to get moving," he declared firmly, knowing that if they didn't get their acts together then they were all going to fall apart and he was unable to ignore the growing anxiety in the back of his mind.

Normally he wouldn't have been so anxious about Erza and Natsu, knowing full well that both of them were more than capable of taking care of themselves and each other. However, this situation was far from normal and he couldn't prevent the uneasy feeling that was creeping into his heart the longer they waited. Erza's armoured heart had been compromised if not outright destroyed by these events, and he wasn't sure that she would be able to fight like normal with that new vulnerability. Whilst Natsu had been going all out in a way that the Ice Mage had never seen, and he feared what might've pushed the Dragon-Slayer to such extremities.

"I can still fly for a bit longer," Happy finally spoke up, his voice trembling despite his attempt to inject confidence into it as he rubbed briefly at his eyes to stop the swimming tears from breaking free. "I'll check the water," he added, knowing that they had no way of knowing where the others had ended up although his heart went cold at the thought of any of them actually being out at sea.

"Alright but make sure you come back before you run out of magic," Gray said warningly, they couldn't afford to have anyone else in trouble and he knew the cat would willingly push himself too far if he thought it would help his nakama.

"Aye Sir," Happy agreed but there was a mutinous look in his eyes as he sprang into the air once more, and the two mages sighed as they watched him wing his way out over the water knowing that they would have to keep an eye on him.

"Let's split up to," Lucy suggest after a brief moment of silence, turning to look at the Ice Mage with a worried expression. "It'll increase our chances of finding them." In all honesty she didn't like the idea of splitting up, half of the trouble they'd had in the tower had come from the fact they'd ended up separated. But the fact that Natsu and Erza hadn't turned up yet was fast turning her worry and unease into full-blown terror and she knew that they were going to have take the risk.

"Are you sure?" Gray asked gently as he saw the hesitation in her eyes and knowing how much she disliked having to go off on her own during jobs let alone in a situation like this. He could see the sense in her words, but there was no way he was going to force the issue especially given how close to the edge their emotions were already.

"I'm sure," her voice was steadier this time and he nodded in acceptance of her words, knowing that if he argued further it would only be wasting time and would get her back up and they couldn't afford to waste time bickering.

"Okay, send up a signal if you run into trouble or if you find them and for heaven's sake be careful," he couldn't keep the note of worry out of his voice, and for the first time he realised that he was actually just as reluctant to split up as she was. He frowned not liking this new hesitancy that was filling him, and abruptly he turned and walked away before he could end up suggesting that he could stick together despite his earlier thoughts on the matter.

"Be careful," Lucy called softly after him and he raised a hand in acknowledgement, relieved that she hadn't tried to call him back and knowing the she had probably guessed the motives behind his sudden departure.

Realising that was the only reaction she was going to get Lucy gave a strained smile before forcing herself to turn in the opposite direction, her eyes darting anxiously over the seemingly abandoned beach. She just hoped that they could find their missing friends sooner rather than later, wanting to do nothing more than patch up whatever wounds everyone had and then get the hell out of here. She wanted to go home with all her nakama and try and forget that the last couple of days had happened…she was sure that this hadn't been what Loke had, had in mind when he gave them the tickets and she wondered how or if she could tell him.

FTFT

Happy glanced around with increasing desperation as he soared over the now calm waves, wondering how on earth the sea could seem so at ease when to him it felt as though the world was in turmoil. He knew it was wrong of him but he couldn't find it in himself to focus on the search for the others who had been in the bubble with them, all he could focus on was the fact that they hadn't found Natsu and Erza and even then his main focus was on his partner.

He'd been terrified when they'd watched the tower rocking and shaking, knowing instinctively that it was his partner who was on the rampage. Natsu was always overly destructive, but he only reached levels similar to the ones he'd used in the tower when things were truly got to hell. That, along with the fact that the Dragon-Slayer had yet to appear scared him more than anything, and he couldn't shake the feeling that something had gone horribly wrong and he hadn't been there to help.

"Natsu!" He called frantically as he tried to shove the fears aside to focus on the search, especially as he could feel his magic beginning to waver around the edge. There wasn't much time left and he knew that he should head back to the beach as Gray had asked, but he couldn't find it in himself to give up on his efforts so ignoring the warning running in the back of his mind he headed further out to sea.

FTFT

Lucy shivered slightly as she trudged along the beach, the tattered remnants of her clothes was doing little to keep her warm in the night air and it didn't help that she'd landed in the water when the bubble had burst. Still there was no time to worry about that, not when she still hadn't found the slightest sign of the others, despite covering a fair distance already and having nearly turned her voice hoarse from calling for them.

"Natsu! Erza! Minna!" She called again, flinching as her voice seemed to be lost in the sound of the waves crashing onto the beach. Turning she glanced in the direction Gray had taken and her feeling of isolation only grew as she realised that the Ice Mage had disappeared out of sight, and she had to fight the temptation to summon one of her spirits just to have some company. Sighing she turned back and continued along the beach, cursing slightly as she stumbled on the sand and trying to hold back the rising sense of fear in her heart.

"Lucy-san!" Her head shot up at the shout, her eyes widening as she found Erza's friends rushing towards them, noting with concern that Sho was being supported between the other two with his head hanging to the point it was nearly resting against his chest. Quickly she ran to meet them, swiftly burying the traitorous part of her that wished it was Natsu and Erza that she had found, knowing that the latter would be concerned with their safety than their own.

"Are you okay? What happened?" She asked as they met up, her eyes darting over all of them and noticing the array of cuts and bruises they were sporting and guessing they'd had a bad landing after the bubble burst.

"We're okay but Sho's hurt," Millianna explained anxiously, peering at the tanned boy with obvious concern and he weakly raised his head to shoot her a look that was meant to be encouraging.

"I'm okay."

"Sit him down so I can look at him," Lucy ordered hearing the clear lie in his wavering voice, she was reluctant to spend too much time away from the search but she couldn't ignore the fact he was injured. "Have you seen anyone else?" She asked as they followed her instructions, her eyes darkening as she took note of his laboured breathing.

"Juvia-san was with us," Wally spoke up and she glanced at him, relieved to hear the water mage was alright after everything she had done to help them. "She went to search the water, I think she was worried about Gray."

"Gray's fine I met up with him along the beach but we split up to search for the rest of you," Lucy explained as she carefully reached out and ran a hand done Sho's side, wincing sympathetically when he cried out as she brushed against his ribs.

"What about Erza-nee?" Sho asked once he'd caught his breath, glancing up at with a worried expression and she could only shrug helplessly and his face fell at once. Biting her lip she set to work on binding his ribs, carefully tearing strips of material from his shirt to work with as her thoughts drifted back to Natsu and Erza. They were the only ones unaccounted for now, and she couldn't fight the icy terror that was beginning to dig its claws into her – where were they?

FTFT

Gray was beginning to think that he must've chosen the wrong direction when he realised how far he had gone with no sign of anyone, cursing at the thought that he might be wasting his time. Glancing ahead he decided to keep going until he could reach the next cove before turning back just to make sure. Resolutely he plodded on, wondering whether Happy or Lucy had managed to find anyone else yet, although he knew the latter at least would have signalled if that was the case.

He was clambering awkwardly over the rocks separating the main beach from the next cove when something wrapped itself around his feet, and with a startled cry he fell forwards, cursing violently as the rocks cut into his hands. Muttering to himself he twisted round to see what had set him flying, dark eyes widening as he recognised the familiar white scarf that had wrapped itself around him. With trembling hands he reached down to untangle himself, his fingers digging into the material as he brought it up to rest against his chest…Natsu had to be nearby!

Ignoring the fresh pain his fall had caused he pushed himself back to his feet and looked around frantically, aware of the fact the scarf could have been swept away from Natsu, but hoping that it wouldn't be the case.

"Natsu!" He called loudly, despite the knowledge that if Natsu had been able to call out he would have already done so, after all the Dragon-slayer was always able to tell when there was someone close to him. However, he refused to let himself dwell on the reasons why the other teen wouldn't be able to do that. Gripping the scarf tightly as though afraid to lose the tenuous link to his nakama he continued to clamber over the rocks.

It was only a couple of minutes later that he stumbled again, and he knew instinctively what it was that had tripped him this time even before he turned back to look at the ground.

"Natsu," the Ice Mage breathed in horror, frozen for a moment as he stared down at the badly injured figure sprawled in the sand. Shaking himself out his shock he stumbled forward, dropping heavily to his knees beside his friend, his hands hovering helplessly over Natsu's body as he took in the full extent of the wounds covering the other's body. "Natsu!" He called more loudly as he finally risked touching the fire mage, carefully grabbing him by the shoulder and giving him a gentle shake in an attempt to rouse him, but there wasn't even a flicker of reaction in the still face.

Taking a breath to steady himself Gray forced himself to check the other's pulse and breathing, relieved to note that they were steady if somewhat weak. Drawing confidence from that he turned his attention to the other's wounds, hissing with sympathy as he took in the bloodied hands, wondering who or what Matsu had been hitting. He ghosted his hands over the torn flesh fearful of actually touching it and causing his friend further pain; instead he turned his attention to Natsu's other injuries, gently pulling aside the tattered remnants of his clothes to get a better view. Although when he did he wished he hadn't, gazing wide-eyed at the myriad cuts and bruises and guessing that the outer wounds were hiding even more serious injuries.

"Natsu can you hear me? You need to wake up for me?" The Ice Mage called with a hint of desperation in his voice as he looked for any hint of a reaction, more unnerved than he cared to admit by the sight of how injured the fire mage was. Seeing Natsu injured wasn't that shocking in itself, but he didn't think he'd ever seen the other teen looking so lifeless and he wondered just what had happened inside of the tower and wishing that he'd fought harder to get back inside.

Forcing himself to focus on the present and not the what ifs he hastily sent an icy flare up into the air to tell Lucy he had found something, the cold light startlingly bright against the night sky. He hoped that she had managed to find the others because there was no way he could leave Natsu at the moment, and he was too worried about the possibility of further internal injuries to risk moving the fire mage without assistance.

Praying that she wouldn't take too long he settled back down next to his friend, noticing with a frown as a small shiver worked its way through Natsu's body. His eyes widened as another followed and then another and fear began to rise once more in his chest, he'd never seen the other teen react to the cold before and he knew that it was a sign that things were worse than he'd thought.

"Damn it," he muttered glancing around for inspiration, knowing that the usual solution of sharing body heat would be useless in this situation because his magic meant that his body was always substantially cooler than everyone else's. His eyes widened as he remembered the scarf that he dropped in the sand beside him when he found the Dragon-Slayer and he quickly grabbed it, gently draping it over Natsu's chest in the hope that it would lend him some warmth. The rest of the Fire Mage's clothes were in tatters and he'd long since lost his own shirt and coat so he couldn't even use them, and there was nothing else in sight that could be used.

FTFT

"Look!" Wally called drawing Lucy's attention from her examination of Sho's injuries, whirling to look at he was indicating with hope rising in her chest despite her attempts to quell it. Her eyes widened as she took in the icy light filling the sky, suddenly remembering his instructions about sending up a flare and her face lit up as she realised what it might mean.

"Gray's found someone," she exclaimed, feeling guilty for forgetting to send up a flare of her own when she found the trio of friends. The sense of hope reared its head again though as she realised that if she had found them, then it meant the Ice Mage had found at least of their teammates – she resolutely quashed the thought that maybe he'd run into an enemy, unable to bear the thought of more fighting at the moment.

"Let's go, it might be Erza-nee," Sho said weakly as he forced himself to his feet, swaying gently and he would have fallen if Millianna had swiftly darted forwards to wrap an arm around him, her face a mix of hope and worry. "I can walk on my own," he protested as he felt Wally moving to his other side, but the pair sent him quelling looks and he quickly subsided. Lucy wanted to protest knowing that really he need to rest, but as she met his eyes she realised that they were just as worried for her missing friends as she was.

"Stay close to me," she instructed instead and they nodded without protest, following closely as she led the way back down the beach.

FTFT

"Natsu!" Happy called wearily as he felt his magic flickering for a moment before abruptly it gave out, his eyes widening with alarm as his wings disappeared once more sending him plunging towards the sea with a panicked shout for help even though he knew the others were too far away to help him.

Just as he was about to hit the water cool arms wrapped around him stopping his fall, and with a relieved mew he twisted his head to look up at his rescuer. He blinked with surprise to find that it was Juvia was holding him, however, she wasn't paying any attention to him as her gaze was fixated on something in front of her. Unnerved by the paleness of her face and the shock in her eyes he turned to see what held her gaze and felt his own eyes widening in horror.

"Erza…?"


	3. Chapter 2

Thank you for the amazing reviews, follows and favourites.

Disclaimer: Fairy Tail and its brilliant characters don't belong to me, I'm just borrowing them.

FTFT

_Just as he was about to hit the water cool arms wrapped around him stopping his fall, and with a relieved mew he twisted his head to look up at his rescuer. He blinked with surprise to find that it was Juvia was holding him, however, she wasn't paying any attention to him as her gaze was fixated on something in front of her. Unnerved by the paleness of her face and the shock in her eyes he turned to see what held her gaze and felt his own eyes widening in horror._

"_Erza…?"_

FT

Ahead of them, sitting unmoving despite the waves lapping gently at its base, was a lacrima that was nearly triple the size of the bubble that Juvia had created to protect them when they fled the tower. It glittered brightly in the night and from what they could see the insides seemed to be fluid, and in constant flux. However, what drew their attention was the heartbreakingly familiar figure floating within the depths of the lacrima, her crimson hair being tugged by the flowing etherion so that it spread out like a halo around her head.

From their position it was impossible to tell if she was breathing or not, and as they watched her aimlessly drifting they couldn't help but fear the worse.

"What is this?" Happy asked his voice a mere whisper as though afraid to break the silence that had settled over them. Wide-eyed he reached out hesitantly towards the lacrima but just before his paw came into contact with the lacrima's shell he snatched it back, afraid of breaking or disturbing it in case it caused further damage to Erza.

"The last bit of the tower," Juvia breathed horrified as she stared at the figure floating in the depths of the trapped magic, cautiously she leant forward making sure to keep Happy away from the surface as she gingerly pressed her hand against it. There was sharp tingle against her skin and she rapidly pulled away with a slight hiss of pain, watching as a shimmer passed through the lacrima's contents, forming a faint glow around Erza for the briefest moment before disappearing. "I don't want to try breaking it in case I make things worse," she added gently glancing down to meet Happy's gaze, before turning her attention to her hand and noting with concern that it looked burnt.

"We should find the others…they need to know," Happy said, realising that if Erza was in this kind of condition then it didn't bode well for his partner's condition and he could only hope that the others had managed to find Natsu. Quietly Juvia nodded, realizing how hard this news was going to hit the others, especially her beloved Gray who had been oscillating between worry and panic for the red-head since she'd first rescued him in the bar.

"Let's go," she said softly and making sure she had a firm hold on the exhausted cat she set off over the waves, finding it harder than she thought possible to bear the thought of abandoning the trapped mage even though she knew they needed help if they were to be able to do anything. In her arms Happy sniffles quietly, torn between terror at what state Natsu might be in and fear that there might be nothing that they could do for Erza.

FTFT

Lucy wanted to shout with relief when she finally spotted the dark outline of the Ice Mage barely illuminated by the last remnants of the ice flare, but instead she had to focus on guiding Erza's friends over the rocks as the walk had taken a lot out of Sho and he was struggling to stay on his feet.

"Gray! What did you fin…?" Lucy called as they finally stepped off the rocks, her voice trailing off as her eyes landed on the scarily still form lying next to him, and her eyes grew impossibly wide as she realised who it was. "Natsu!" She cried charging forwards, completely forgetting about her companions as her entire focus was on her best friend. Tears were already trickling down her face as she dropped down into the sand beside him, a horrified gasp escaping as she took in the damage marring his body.

"He's still with us," Gray said, answering the unasked question he could see in her eyes as she reached out hesitantly towards the fire mage, clearly afraid to touch him in case she made things worse for him. Both of them knew that he was leaving the _for now_ unspoken, and as Lucy got a closer look at her friend's wounds she realised how true those silent words were; she had never seen Natsu so badly hurt before and it scared her to see him laid so low. "You didn't find any trace of Erza? Or that girl…Juvia?" He asked as he turned to look at Erza's friends who were hovering awkwardly a short distance away, clearly afraid to intrude on the personal movement.

"Juvia was with them but she went off to search in the water before I found them," Lucy replied as she reluctantly dragged her gaze away from Natsu to reply. "There's still no sign of Erza," she added much more quietly, knowing that the longer they went without news of the re-quip mage the less likely it was that the news was going to be good.

"I'm sure she'll be fine," Gray said, but there was a lack of conviction in his voice as he spoke, his gaze lingering on Natsu as he spoke. If the fire mage was in this condition, then what condition would Erza be in? He knew that no matter how hot-headed and plain idiotic the fire mage could be, he would have defended Erza with all his strength regardless of what she wanted and it was growing harder to ignore the pit of terror growing in his stomach…Erza would be fine…she had to be.

FTFT

"Gray! Lucy!" They all looked around at the loud cry, Lucy automatically scanning the sky only to find Juvia running across the beach towards them with Happy cradled protectively in her arms as he waved at them to get their attention. They were disappointed to see no sign of Erza, but as the pair drew closer that disappointment gave way to worry and alarm as they took in the pairs' pale expressions and the tears trickling unchecked down Happy's face.

"What is it?" Gray demanded as soon as they reached them not giving them chance to catch their breath, dread pooling in his stomach as they exchanged a grim look before Happy turned back to face him.

"I..It's…We found her, we found Erza," Happy blurted out finally and the pain in his voice told them that they weren't going to like the news. The cat struggled to continue, trying to find the words to convey what they had found but his voice had dried up in his throat as he tried to block out the haunting image of Erza floating trapped in the lacrima.

Glancing around as he struggled to rein in the welling emotions his gaze finally fell on the still form lying between Gray and Lucy, and the little cat froze, his eyes growing wide as they moved across to the familiar salmon-coloured hair. With a noise that was half cry and half whimper Happy darted across to Natsu, the flow of tears down his face increasing as he laid trembling paws on his partner's arm as he desperately searched Natsu's face for some sort of reaction. "Natsu," Happy finally whispered, and the pain in his voice was heart-breaking for his friends to hear and yet they had no means to comfort him and they could only watch sorrowfully as he buried his head against Natsu's chest with a loud sob.

"Juvia?" Gray asked turning back to look at the water mage when it was clear that Happy had been completely derailed by Natsu's condition, and unable to find it in himself to force the cat away from his partner despite the need to find out about Erza.

"Erza-san," Juvia started hesitantly flushing slightly as everyone's attention switched to her, and lowering her gaze as she realised how intently Gray was looking at her. "We found her trapped in a lacrima just beyond where the tower was…" Gray's gaze immediately darted down to Natsu's bloody hands, the injuries taking on an even darker meaning as he imagined the Fire mage desperately trying to reach Erza – he probably hadn't even been aware of the fact that he was injuring himself.

"Why didn't you free her?" Sho spoke up in a heated voice drawing Gray's attention away from the Dragon-Slayer and the Ice Mage watched in concern as the other teen staggered back to his feet as he glared furiously at Juvia.

"Juvia tried," the water mage countered softly before Gray could intervene, flinching away in the face of the anger and she was relieved when his companions reached out to pull him back, their faces slowly morphing into masks of grief as they began to register what she was telling them. "My magic was unable to penetrate it, and it disturbed the etherion inside and I didn't want to risk causing more harm. It didn't like my magic," she added holding her hand out for them all to see the burn marring the pale skin, the skin looking angry and irritated and they all saw the small wince that passed over her face at the movement.

Gray swallowed hard at the evidence of her attempts to free Erza, having known from watching her that she was telling the truth and he could feel his eyes already beginning to burn. Silently he stepped forward to gently take hold of the burned appendage, ignoring the way her face flushed bright red as he allowed the cool of his magic to seep over skin and soothe the burn, watching as she instantly relaxed slightly.

"Was she…is she alive?" He forced himself to ask once he was sure it was working, annoyed with himself for failing to keep the waver out of his voice. He was terrified of what the answer might be, but needing to hear it all the same.

"We couldn't tell," Happy replied unsteadily as he finally looked up from Natsu, tears still cascading down his face as he met Gray's gaze. "She didn't respond to the disturbance Juvia caused though," he added sadly a tremor in his voice, before his gaze dropped back down to Natsu as his words seemed to hang in the air for a long moment as the others tried to absorb what he was telling them.

"No," Lucy cried dropping back to her knees as she began to weep, barely aware of the hand that Gray laid on her shoulder in an attempt to comfort her even as he tried to keep his own feet, his chest currently feeling like it was trying to tear itself in half. "Erza…She can't be…she can't…" She was vaguely aware of the others beginning to cry out their own denials as the water mage's words finally sank in, but she couldn't find the strength to try and offer them comfort as her own grief weighed her down.

FT

Gray knew that they couldn't afford for them all to fall apart at this point, especially not with Natsu in dire need of medical attention and looking around he realized that he was going to have to be the strong one for now. He glanced at Natsu, wishing that the fire mage would wake up as he was much better at offering comfort and finding hope in the very worst situations than he was. Although he doubted that even the ever optimistic Dragon-slayer would be able to find anything positive in this situation.

Shaking his head he turned to consider his other companions, knowing that they needed to get word back to the guild as soon as possible. Even before looking at them he knew asking his own guild mates was out of the question, there was no way they would leave Natsu behind in his current condition and he wouldn't ask them to. Erza's friends were in a state and the blond-haired one was obviously fairly injured, which left Juvia as the only real option although he was slightly hesitant to ask...not because he didn't trust her, in his mind she had proved herself with all that she had already done; but because he wasn't certain that the rest of the guild would be so forgiving towards the former Phantom Lord member.

"Juvia would you take a message to Fairy Tail for us?" Gray asked grimly realising that he would just have to ask her and let her decide, and he was startled by the speed at which her attention shifted to him and for a brief moment he imagined that there he saw faint hearts dancing in her eyes. Shaking himself he shoved that thought aside as being a side-effect of his tiredness and emotions. "Natsu needs proper treatment and I don't think he's up to a long journey at the moment, but our Master needs to know what's happened." His voice wavered slightly at the end and the burning in his eyes that he had been trying to ignore was growing in intensity, but he forcefully blinked it aside for now.

"Hai, I'll tell him," Juvia said softly seeing the pain in his face and silently marvelling at the strength he was showing, she barely knew the red-haired mage and yet the sight of her trapped within the lacrima had brought her to tears, and yet here he was staying strong for the sake of his nakama. As much as she wanted to remain by his side and try and offer him comfort, she knew that honouring his request would help him more. "Please take care," she said imploringly, resisting the urge to glower at Lucy's proximity to the Ice Mage.

Without waiting for acknowledgement she took off, determined to prove to Gray and the rest of his guild that she was worthy of their trust. Fighting beside them in the Tower and sharing in their worry and pain as they watched the tower erupt had cemented her desire to join Fairy Tail. It was a guild where she would be able to find everything that had been missing from her time with Phantom…trust, friendship and hopefully love.

FT

"We need to get Natsu back," Gray said seriously once the Water mage was out of sight and turning to look at Lucy who was still staring down at Natsu with tears still trickling down her cheeks. However, at his words she hastily brushed them aside and got to her feet with a determined expression as she nodded in agreement. "We'll need to carry him between us, I don't want to risk making his injuries worse," he instructed as he crouched down to lay his hands down on either side of the Dragon-Slayer's head, Happy quickly moving to one side as he realised what Gray was doing. "Ice Make…" he murmured and slowly ice spread out from his fingers, carefully forming a stretcher beneath the injured mage.

"Gray won't he melt your ice?" Happy spoke up hesitantly as though afraid of angering the Ice Mage and Gray sighed before shaking his head sadly as he glanced down at the worried cat.

"He's cold to the touch Happy," he said softly, wincing at the horrified gasps that escaped his companions as they realised the implications of his words and shivering as their reactions cut through his own denial. "He's completely used up all his magic and it'll take a while to even begin to recuperate given his condition, so this should hold till we get him back," he finished his explanation, thankful when none of them commented on the slight shakiness to his voice, knowing that if they did there was no way he would be able to hold himself together.

Silently Lucy moved to stand by Natsu's feet before cautiously taking hold of the stretcher, forcing herself not to hiss as the coldness of the ice burned against her skin. The pain helped to bring her out of the cloud of grief she had been slipping into, and sniffing she glanced expectantly across at Gray who nodded in acknowledgement before moving to the other end. With extreme care they lifted their friend, waiting with bated breath to see if he would react, and both struggling to hide their disappointment when there wasn't the slightest bit of response.

"Let's get him back," Gray said when he managed to find his voice around the disappointment welling in his chest. Silently they began to make their way back over the rock, the other three following behind them still lost in their own grief whilst Happy dragged up enough energy to take to the air to lead the way, all of them highly aware of what they were leaving behind.

FTFT

Gray had managed to hold himself together all the way through getting Natsu back to the hotel and had even managed to stay in the room whilst the hastily summoned healer did what she could to treat the fire mage. In the bright hotel lights the Dragon-Slayer's injuries had been thrown into sharp relief, making the Ice Mage shudder as he tried to imagine just what could've happened in the Tower whilst trying frantically to block out the healer's warnings that Natsu wasn't out of danger yet. He couldn't even allow the idea of losing the hothead to take root in his mind, knowing that if he did he would lose all ability to function.

Finally the healer had left with stern instructions that Natsu was not to be left alone for the next couple of days, which was the critical period that would determine whether or not he survived or not and Gray felt himself beginning to fall apart. As soon as the healer was gone he had turned to Lucy who was sat cradling Natsu's hand against her chest, with tears trickling silently down her face.

"Lucy can you stay with him?" Gray asked numbly, aware that his voice was wavering as he felt the control he'd ben exerting over his emotions beginning to crack and realising that he wasn't going to be able to hold them back much longer.

"Of course," Lucy replied instantly, and there was an understanding expression on her tear-streaked face as she took in the way he was trembling and the moisture swimming in his eyes. In all honesty she had expected him to crack before now, but looking at him now she realised that he didn't want to do it in front of her or Natsu (even if the latter was dead to the world). "Go," she added when she saw him hesitating when he glanced at Natsu, and with a jerky nod he obeyed, practically stumbling from the room in his hurry to escape.

Thankfully he didn't encounter anyone as made it down the corridor to his room, slipping inside he quickly locked the door behind him, unable to bear the thought of anyone bursting on him at the moment. In a daze he shed the remainder of his clothes and headed for the shower, turning the water to its hottest settings, needing the heat to ground him in reality

"Erza," he whispered as he stepped under the cascading water and the sound of her name broke the dam that had been holding back his emotions, and a sob forced itself free as tears began to course freely down his cheeks. A low wail escaped him as for the first time he allowed himself to acknowledge the fact that they had lost Erza, and the strength drained out of him and he slumped into the bottom of the shower as he began to sob in earnest. _Why? After everything she's been through, why did she have to be the one we lost? Why hadn't Natsu…?_

His head shot up as that thought dissolved as suddenly as it had formed, and guilt pooled in his stomach for even contemplating the idea of blaming Natsu for what had happened. The fact that he was laid down the corridor fighting for his own life, and the spectacular rampage they had witnessed earlier was more than enough proof that he had given his all for their red-headed friend. He couldn't even begin to imagine what state the fire mage would be in when he woke up, and they had no way of knowing if he was already aware of the fact they had lost…her, or whether it would fall to them to tell him.

"Damn it Erza…What are we supposed to do without you?" He asked brokenly as he slowly buried his head in his knees, trying to escape from everything if only for a little while.

FT

It was some time later that he emerged from the bathroom, his emotions back in check for now although he knew that there was still lots to come. As much as he would like some more time to himself he knew that Lucy must be just as keen for a shower as he had been, and that she also probably needed a break from everything that was happening…if she could bring herself to leave Natsu's side that was. He knew that it was a shock for her to see just how bad it could get on jobs, the rest of them had been in the guild for much longer and had unfortunately seen other cases that had ended just as badly…Lisanna immediately springing to mind.

With that realisation in mind he turned his feet towards Natsu's room. Although he found himself hesitating at the door, terrified of opening the door in case he found that the Dragon-slayer had taken a turn for the worse during his absence. Eventually though he forced himself to take the handle and push the door open, knowing that if anything had happened good or bad that Lucy would have sent for him.

"Gray," Lucy's head had shot up as he stepped inside and he noted that her hand had dropped instinctively down to her whip, and he felt a momentary sadness for her growing loss of innocence even as he raised his hands to indicate his lack of threat. "Are you feeling better?" She asked, wincing slightly at the question but he knew that she hadn't many anything by it and he merely nodded in response.

"You should go and get a shower to, we're in for a long night," he said gently, unsurprised when she hesitated looking reluctantly at the Dragon-Slayer and he realised that she had been sat holding his hand when he entered. "You won't do him any good neglecting yourself," he added softly and her gaze flickered back to him, her reluctance gradually fading away to resignation as she got to her feet. For a brief second she hesitated before leaning over to press a gentle kiss against Natsu's forehead before pulling away and heading for the door.

"Look after him," she said softly before slipping out of the door without waiting for a response, knowing that the request was unnecessary but feeling better for it all the same. Sighing, Gray waited until the door had clicked shut behind her before finally moving across to claim a seat next to the bed.

"You have to come back to us Natsu, we can't survive loosing you too," he muttered to his one-time rival before he found himself reaching out to grasp Natsu's hand, trying not to flinch away as he felt the unnatural chill still tainting Natsu's skin…it wasn't right for the walking furnace to feel so cold, and for the first time the Ice Mage found himself fearing the cold.

FT

An Hour Later:

Gray sighed as he stretched out his stiffening limbs for a moment before turning his attention back to Natsu, afraid to look away for more than a moment at a time in case he missed the slightest change in his friend's condition. He had spent the last hour talking quietly to the unconscious mage, unsure of whether Natsu was able to hear him but unwilling to leave him lying in the shadow without a link back to them. He spoke of their childhood, of their various scraps and adventures, although his voice would always break when he ventured near the topic of their red-haired friend.

"Gray?" The ice mage turned at the quiet voice, forcing a smile that he knew appeared more like a grimace as he found Lucy peering around the door, her face pale as her eyes darted to the figure on the bed obviously looking for some sign of change.

"Come in," he said softly seeing her hesitation and with a silent nod she slipped inside, hovering near the door for a moment before quietly moving across to stand at the end of the bed. Her eyes were searching as she stared down at Natsu with a lost expression on her face, and he sighed as he realised that she had never seen Natsu in this state before…injured yes, but hovering on the edge of death? "He'll come back to us, he's stronger than you know," he said, but he wasn't entirely sure who he was trying to comfort as his own gaze drifted back to Natsu.

"Where are the others?" He asked turning his gaze back to her, realising that he hadn't seen or heard anything from Er…her friends since they returned to the hotel and feeling guilty for forgetting them, they might have fought against them to start with but it was clear that they cared just as much for Erza as they did. He felt his chest tightening up again at her name even if it was only in his head and his eyes began to burn again and he had to blink heavily to hold them back.

"They haven't come out of their room and I didn't want to force them," Lucy said softly and he sighed before nodding in understanding, he couldn't begin to imagine how they felt at the moment. "Happy is asleep in my room, I think he cried himself into exhaustion," she added with a worried frown, the little cat had been inconsolable between the discovery of Erza's current situation and his partner's current condition she couldn't help but wonder how he would survive if anything happened to Natsu…she wasn't sure how any of them would survive if that happened.

FTFT


	4. Chapter 3

Thank you for the reviews, follows and favourites.

Disclaimer: As always Fairy Tail and its awesome characters don't belong to me, I'm just borrowing them.

FTFT

Two days later:

Lucy sighed softly as she slipped back into Natsu's room after briefly slipping out to check on Erza's friends who hadn't left her red-headed friend's room since their return from the beach. The trio were a mess and she didn't know what she could do to help them, and although she felt bad about it her main focus remained on her own nakama. Her eyes softened slightly as they fell on Gray, the Ice Mage draped awkwardly over the side of Natsu's bed, his face pale and drawn even in sleep as he clung unconsciously to one of the Fire Mage's heavily bandaged hands. Whilst on the other side of the bed Happy had curled into a tiny ball, his face pressed against Natsu's side as one paw clung to the Dragon-Slayer's clothes.

"Gray," she called softly trying not to wake Happy as well, as she padded across to the bed, a tight smile appearing as he reluctantly began to stir, his brow furrowing as he fought against consciousness but after a moment his eyes flickered open. For a long moment they just stared at one another and then he sat up with a jolt, his head swinging in alarm towards Natsu, his eyes frantically searching for any sign of change in the Fire Mage.

"Damn I didn't mean to fall asleep," he growled once he was satisfied that nothing dire had happened during his impromptu nap, his expression guilty as he turned to look at Lucy. The Celestial mage sighed again at his expression and shook her head before making her way to the seat on the far side of the bed, dropping heavily into it before turning her attention back to Gray.

"You should get some proper rest," she scolded even though she knew that he wasn't going to listen to her, not that she could blame him. The last time he had popped out of the room for more than a couple of minutes the Dragon-Slayer's condition had taken a turn for the worse, and if it hadn't been for the speed at which Happy fetched the healer they might have lost Natsu.

FT

Gray sighed as he sat back in his chair, his expression warming slightly as he glanced across at Lucy only to discover that she had imitated his earlier actions and was now dozing awkwardly in the chair. He winced at the uncomfortable position she had adopted, knowing that she was going to be stiff when she woke up but unable to find it in himself to disturb her rest. She had barely rested either in the last couple of days, and she had been busy splitting her time between Natsu and Erza's friends, especially as he had found it impossible to bring himself to go and visit them – despite the fact that he knew his resentment towards them was more than unfair.

Unfortunately now that Lucy was asleep there was nothing to distract him from his thoughts, and as he turned his gaze back to the unconscious Dragon-slayer, his eyes lingering on the slow rise and fall of his friend's chest he couldn't stop his thoughts from drifting to Erza. For better or worse he had made the decision to go and visit her prison the day before, needing to see for himself what had happened for her although part of him wished that he hadn't given into the temptation – the image of her floating just out of reach was going to haunt him for a long time.

_Gray felt nauseous as he stared up at the lacrima imprisoning his childhood friend, his eyes darkening as he stared at the figure floating in the confines of the etherion. She looked so peaceful, the glow from the confined magic making her glow and he couldn't stop the tears that trickled down his cheeks as he reached out with a trembling hand only to stop just shy of the lacrima as Juvia's words and the sight of her burned hand flashed through his mind._

"_Erza," he murmured softly, his gaze locked on the floating figure which seemed so close and yet so far. Despite the evidence Juvia had shown them he couldn't resist the temptation, and before he could spend to long worrying about the consequences he summoned up his magic. "Ice Make: Lance!" He roared, knowing at this distance he couldn't miss and that he would achieve maximum impact. Instinctively he'd closed his eyes for the collision not wanting to get hit with any shards of ice or lacrima, and it turned out to be a blessing as a blinding light filled the air, bright enough to burn through his eyelids._

_Unfortunately having his eyes shut meant that he was caught by surprise when the Etherion within the lacrima reacted violently to his attack, and he found himself being violently flung aside, a cry of pain forcing itself free as the wild magic lashed against him._

"_ERZA!" He roared frantically as he regained his balance, reaching out to steady the little row boat he was in, eyes wide with alarm as watched the magic lashing angrily at the air for a moment before eventually subsiding back into the lacrima. Desperately he leant forward, pressing himself back against the lacrima as he desperately peered in…only letting out a relieved breath as he found her floating unaffected in the depths of the magic._

FT

Angrily he shifted in his seat, reaching up to scrub at his eyes as he felt the all too familiar burn of tears. The visit had been bad enough, but when he had returned to the hotel it was to find Lucy and the healer fighting to save Natsu as his condition nose-dived. He was sure he wouldn't be able to forget the sight of the Fire mage struggling to breathe whilst the healer frantically cast spells, whilst Lucy and Happy had looked on helplessly. Gray had nearly collapsed in the hallway, convinced that he was about to see another friend slip away from him.

The healer had said that it was nothing more than a miracle that the Dragon-Slayer had survived, and had warned that if his condition deteriorated like that again then it was unlikely that she would be able to help him. That news had immediately destroyed the relief they'd felt at seeing Natsu resting safely and peacefully once more, and neither of them had dared to venture far since then, determined that he wasn't going to get the opportunity to slip away from them.

FTFT

The next morning:

Gray yawned slightly as he moved slightly in his seat, cursing the uncomfortable piece of furniture yet again as he felt his back protesting its mistreatment. Grimly he vowed that when they eventually left the hotel he was going to destroy it even if it did mean paying for damages, only to glance up in surprise as he heard a small chuckle only to find that his movements had woken Lucy and she was watching him with wry amusement and he flushed slightly as he realised he'd spoken his thoughts aloud.

"I might join you in that," Lucy grumbled as she stretched out her own stiff body, scowling as tried to work out kinks her unfortunate sleeping position had caused. As soon as she was sorted her gaze drifted to Natsu, her expression falling at finding him still unconscious although logically she knew that Gray would have woken her if she had woken up. "Any change?" She couldn't resist asking, praying for even the slightest development.

"No," Gray replied simply, hating the way her expression fell further but unwilling to give her false hope as he turned his own gaze to the Dragon-Slayer. Apart from the incident when he was away, Natsu had survived what the healer had highlighted as the critical period but even that knowledge could do little against the fear growing in them every moment that passed without the slightest sign of change. Both of them glancing sadly at Happy who was still sleeping, a frown still present on his face as he clung to Natsu; the cat had refused to shift from the bed since Natsu's near miss, not that they could blame him.

"What…" Lucy trailed off as there was a soft knock at the door, and both of them tensed for a moment before exchanging worried look and her eyes widened as she noticed Gray's hands sliding into a battle-ready position, and she quickly followed his lead as her hand dropped down to her keys.

"Come in," Gray called calmly, and they both watched warily as the door silently opened, their eyes widening as the familiar figure of their Master stepped into the room and both immediately abandoned their battle-ready stances with guilty expressions.

"Gramps," Gray breathed in surprise having not expected anyone to arrive from the guild for at least another day or two. Makarov looked up at him and the Ice mage found himself freezing as he took in the worried and grief-stricken expression on the old man's face, not even when Mira and Elfman returned with news of Lisanna's death had their Master looked so broken and Gray found himself unsure of what to say.

"Gray…Lucy," Makarov's voice was soft as he gazed between the pair before finally allowing his eyes to move to the still form on the bed, and there was no hiding the pain that flashed across his face as he stared at Natsu. "Natsu," he breathed before slowly moving towards the bed as he slowly took in the Dragon-Slayer's condition, and Gray silently stepped aside to allow the old man to take over his position at Natsu's side.

"He took a turn for the worse the other day, but since then there's been no change in his condition," Lucy reported wearily as she met their Master's eyes and seeing the question in them, and he nodded in understanding, seeming to age in front of her eyes as he hesitantly reached out to touch Natsu. His hand brushed against the Fire Mage's cheek, his expression darkening at the lack of heat coming off the Dragon-Slayer and realising just what that indicated.

"What did the healer say?" Makarov forced himself to ask as he allowed his hand to come to rest in pink locks, turning to look at Gray, not liking the grim expression on the teen's face as the Ice Mage sighed heavily at the question.

"Magical exhaustion, burns from exposure to the Etherion and numerous injuries from his battles within the tower," Gray listed off bleakly, remembering his own reactions when the healer had listed of Natsu's injuries especially as she hadn't been as sparing with the details and he was unsurprised when Makarov paled even at the shorter list.

Makarov nodded silently as he absorbed Gray's words, his gaze shifting back to Natsu and feeling a pang of sorrow at seeing one of his favourite children in such a state. Juvia had tried to warn him about what to expect when she turned up at the guild to tell him what had happened, but somewhere along the way he had managed to convince himself that it couldn't be as bad as she was making out. Now, however, he was being confronted with the harsh reality and it took him more effort than he would ever admit to, to turn back and ask the question he had been trying to put off.

"And Erza?" There was no hiding the pain in his voice as he asked the question, realising now that Juvia had probably been more sparing with the details of what he was going to find than he had originally thought, and he was relieved that he hadn't told the rest of the guild what was happening before he left.

Gray swallowed hard at the question, the image of Erza trapped in that thrice-dammed lacrima filling his mind and he found himself taking an unconscious step backwards as though trying to distance himself from the image. Desperately he tried to find the words to explain what had happened to the red-haired mage but he couldn't force them past the lump that had risen in his throat, and he turned to look helplessly at Lucy.

"From what Juvia and Happy told us," Lucy paused to glance across at the sleeping Exceed but she was reluctant to wake him, especially as she knew as much as he did. "The Tower of Heaven has been reduced to a single, very large lacrima that is filled with the remnants of the Etherion that didn't shoot into the sky. Erza is trapped in the middle of that lacrima," her voice trembled at the end and she exchanged a pained look with Gray, once again thankful she hadn't gone to visit the red-head as she saw the haunted expression on his face.

"You've tried to free her?" Makarov answered glancing at Gray who nodded mutely, the grim expression on his face telling the older man how unsuccessful the effort had been, not that he had expected anything different after Juvia had shown him the burn on her arm.

"This time the Etherion lashed out in response," Gray muttered finally, knowing that their Master would need all their information if he was going to stand a chance of doing something for Erza. "As far as I can tell it didn't affect her, but…" _What if I did hurt her?_ It was a thought that had plagued him ever since he'd returned to the hotel, and it rose with full force as he raised his gaze to meet their Master's.

"But you can't be sure," Makarov concluded with a sigh, his brow furrowing in thought as he considered their situation. On the way to the resort he'd contacted those he trusted and who he knew could be discreet both within the council and the guilds to see if they had ever heard of a similar situation, so far none of them had been able to come up with anything even remotely similar, and whilst they were continuing the search he had little confidence that they would be able to find anything.

"Master…"

"Don't worry there is still hope," Makarov said seeing the open fear on Lucy's face, and the terror that Gray was barely holding at bay beneath his mask and his expression tightened. His gaze shifted back to the bed and he scowled, the situation needed to be resolved as soon as possible before his children were hurt anymore…he refused to allow the insidious whisper at the back of his mind that said that it might be too late for him to help Erza, knowing that if he let that thought in now then he would be useless. With a firm nod of his head he got to his feet, feeling their eyes immediately following his motion.

"Gramps?" Gray asked slowly, startled by the sudden movement and more than a little worried by the grim expression on the old man's face and the faint stirrings of his magic that could be felt in the air around them.

"I'm going out to her," Makarov said gently, holding up a hand as Gray opened his mouth and the Ice Mage froze. "I want you to both stay with Natsu," he added, knowing that Gray had been about to offer to go with him although it was blatantly obvious he was still shaken from his last view of Erza and he was unwilling to add to their burden.

"But…" Gray began to protest but trailed off guiltily, in all honesty he had no desire to see Erza trapped in that lacrima again, and yet it didn't feel right just staying behind whilst Makarov tried to free her.

"Gray it's all right," the Ice mage looked up at the soft tone and seeing the understanding in Makarov's eyes he finally nodded with a mixture of defeat and relief. "Look after him," Makarov added with a last lingering look at the Dragon-slayer, Natsu's unnatural stillness unnerving him more than he would ever admit out loud especially with Lucy and Gray's anxious eyes watching him. Shooting them a comforting look he disappeared, closing the door firmly behind him as summoned his courage for what he was about to see.

FTFT

Later that afternoon:

Gray paced anxiously in front of the door, his brow furrowed in concern as his gaze alternated between the unmoving form of the Dragon-Slayer on the bed, the clock on the wall and the door. It had been several hours since Makarov had left to go and visit Erza and to see if there was anything that he could do to free her, and the Ice Mage was getting more and more angsty the longer the old man was gone. It didn't help that he was torn between hope that the old man would be able to find a way to help Erza, and terror that he would return only to say that there was nothing that could be done.

"Do you want to go and look for him?" Lucy asked softly, tired of watching him pace from her seat next to Fire Mage and Happy glanced anxiously between them before snuggling back next to Natsu not wanting to get involved in the discussion. Gray paused in his pacing at her question and she could see the conflict flickering across his face before with a resigned sigh he shook his head.

"No, I don't want to leave him," he said quietly before gesturing at Natsu, terrified that if he left again something else might happen to the Dragon-Slayer if he dared to step out of the room. Lucy opened her mouth to reply, unsure of what she could say to ease his worries when she was just as worried as he was, just as the door behind him swung open to reveal an exhausted looking Makarov. "Gramps?!" Gray cried as he swung to look at Makarov, his expression falling as he took in the state of their Master and the disheartened expression he was sporting.

"Master come and sit down," Lucy ordered in a concerned voice, shooting a quelling look at Gray as he opened his mouth no doubt to demand answers. With a weary sigh Makarov obeyed, his expression darkening further as he looked searchingly at Natsu as he settled into the offered seat, the lack of change another blow to his heart and he couldn't resist reaching out to take hold of one of the Fire Mage's hand.

"Gramps?" Gray asked more softly this time as he drew closer to the bed, his expression a mix of fear and desperation, needing to know what was happening but afraid of what Makarov might be about to tell them. Makarov sighed as he glanced between them, easily reading the emotions in their eyes and pondering what to say to them.

"My magic couldn't break through the Etherion either," he admitted softly and their expressions fell at once, and Gray dropped numbly to the floor, his hands clenching into fists as he felt the hope that had been sustaining him being slowly destroyed. If a Saint Wizard couldn't break Erza out of the lacrima then what else could they do? "Some reasearchers from the council have arrived as well," Makarov continued and Gray raised his eyes, a dark scowl forming on his face at the mention of the council.

"It took them all this time to get here when it was their fault in the first place?!" He spat angrily, if they had never fired the Etherion then Jellal would never have come close to achieving his goal and none of this would have happened to Natsu and Erza. He had never been found of the council, especially with their tendency for taking matters out on their guild, but he knew he would never be able to respect them again after this.

"Can't they do anything?" Lucy asked desperately, she was angry with the council as well as she could understand the fury burning in Gray's eyes but if they could help Erza then she would be more than willing to accept their help.

"The council are looking into it, but..." Makarov trailed off, unable to bring himself to crush the last remnants of hope that he could see his children clinging to. Realistically he knew that it was better to tell them the truth now so that they could come to terms with it, but they had already been through so much and with the uncertainty about Natsu's condition…

"They don't think it can be done…do they?" Lucy asked hesitantly, and he winced as he saw her exchange a grim knowing look with Gray and he realised that they must've discussed it during the long hours of watching over the Dragon-Slayer.

"They said it is…unlikely that there is anything they will be able to do," he admitted with a sigh, realising that he had underestimated their awareness of the situation, although as he expected pain flashed across their faces at his words. On the bed Happy let out a choked sob before pressing his face back against Natsu's chest, and Makarov felt his heart break further at that sight as he forced himself to continue. "Not only are they unsure if there is a mage powerful enough to break through the lacrima, but they believe that if the outer shell is breached the Etherion trapped within will explode and obliterate both Erza and any trying to rescue her."

"So they're not going to do anything?" Gray demanded with a growl in his voice, unable to bear the thought of giving up on Erza, even as a calmer more realistic part of himself acknowledged the validity of that choice. Unfortunately where Erza was concerned…or rather where any of his nakama were concerned that more rational part was often forced to take a back seat and there was fire in his eyes as he glared at their Master.

"No," Makarov denied immediately, seeing the glint of rebellion in the dark eyes and wanting to head off any explosions before they could happen. "They're going to research it, see if there is anything in the archives about similar situations…" Although he had been around a long time and had witnessed a lot of things and he doubted very much that a situation such as this had ever happened before, however, he hoped that their lesser experience would leave his children with a least a glimmer of hope that something could be found.

"In other words they're just going through the motions," Lucy said bitterly, and both Gray and Makarov looked at her in surprise, neither having expected to have heard such a tone from her and it immediately quashed Makarov's thought that he could give them some hope to hold on to.

"They won't be alone in their search," he promised instead, realising that they would have more faith in that promise than in any words from the council that had made it obvious on more than one occasion that the wellbeing of Fairy Tail was not their primary concern. Their expressions had softened slightly at his words, and realising that it was the best he was going to get for the time being he quietly excused himself to go in search of the healer.

FT

"Gray," Lucy said softly a short while after their Master had left, and the Ice Mage looked up at once and winced as he saw the unshed tears swimming in her eyes and before she spoke he already knew what she was going to say. "What…What do we do if we can't bring her back?" Her voice trembled as she voiced the question that had been hovering over them since the moment they had heard what had happened to her.

"I don't know," he admitted after a long moment, he had not allowed himself to even consider the possibility until now, needing that glimmer of hope to hold himself together. Yet now, looking at Lucy's tearful face and with their Master's words ringing in his ears he had to face up to the fact that it might be more than a possibility. "I don't know," he repeated helplessly, feeling his eyes beginning to burn again as the image of Erza and her prison filled his mind again and he could feel his control beginning to slip once more.

FTFT

That evening:

"I've spoken to the healer and she says that it should be possible to take Natsu home tomorrow," Makarov said quietly as he slipped into the room, unsurprised to find that neither Lucy nor Gray had shifted since he'd left them. The only change was that Happy had finally fallen asleep, although he remained curled up against Natsu with one paw stretched out to lie over the fire mage's chest as though to check he was still living even in sleep.

"But…what if he takes a turn for the worse?" Gray demanded anxiously as he glanced at Natsu, the thought of Natsu stopping breathing whilst they were travelling making him panic. "None of us has healing magic!"

"I know," Makarov reassured him. "The healer has some stuff we can take with us, and I've sent a message ahead for the guild to send for Porlysuica." Gray relaxed slightly at that news, knowing just how talented the snarky woman was at healing mages especially from magic related problems – his gaze flickered back to Makarov at that thought.

"So we're just going to leave her?" Lucy asked softly and without heat turning the conversation back to Erza now she was reassured that Natsu would be okay, turning to look at their Master with dulled eyes and he winced at seeing the Celestial mage so downtrodden and wishing that there was some simple way to bring the sparkle back to her eyes.

Gray opened his mouth but then froze as he realised that was exactly what their Master was suggesting by saying they could take Natsu home. However, his protests died as he saw the conflict on Makarov's face and he scowled darkly as he stared at the ground. The thought of leaving Erza behind broke his heart, but they had already proven that neither his nor Gramps magic was capable of freeing her so there was little they could do here…and all the materials they needed for research were back at the guild.

"There is little that we can do here," Makarov replied heavily echoing Gray's thoughts, hating to admit how helpless he was in this situation but knowing that there was little for them to achieve by remaining in the resort. Still it left a sour taste in his mouth to even begin contemplating leaving behind one of his children, but as his gaze drifted to Natsu he knew it was a decision they had to make, and deep down he knew that Erza would approve. Lucy's expression fell as she realised that he was right, but the thought of leaving Erza broke her heart and she glanced helplessly between Makarov and her unconscious best friend…could she leave the red-head behind? Even if it was for Natsu's sake?

"Natsu might recover better at home," Gray offered quietly as he saw the pain in the Old Man's voice, and knowing that arguing against leaving would only cause more pain and tension. He wasn't convinced that going home would help Natsu, especially as they still had no idea whether Natsu had witnessed what happened to Erza before passing out…if he had then he doubted it would matter where they were. "What about Sho and the others?" He asked forcing himself to change the topics before he became lost in that train of thought.

"I spoke with them earlier and I said they were welcome to come to Fairy Tail with us," Makarov replied with a sigh, he didn't know the three youngsters but it had been impossible to miss the grief and guilt in their expressions as they listened silently to what he had to say about the council and Erza. "But they have decided that they need to try and find their own way in the world," he wasn't entirely happy with the decision, worried about what they might do in their current emotional state and also aware of the fact that Erza would want him to care for them. But they had been resolute in their decision, and after what they had lived through for the past eight years he had no right to stand in the way of whatever freedom they chose to pursue.

"I see," Gray said softly glancing down, he felt slightly guilty for not having been to see them but a small part of him was resentful, why did they have the right to grieve when it was partly because of them that Erza and Natsu had ended up in that tower to begin with.

"Does the rest of the guild know what happened?" Lucy asked quietly as she tore her attention away from Natsu, somehow unable to muster up any real feelings about the news that Erza's friends were parting ways with them.

"No," Makarov shook his head, that was something else that he still had to face and he knew that it was going to be a massive blow for his close-knit guild. Despite her harsh exterior Erza had been well loved and had been a central party of their mis-matched family, and the hole she was leaving behind would be difficult to heal…if it ever could. "Juvia asked to speak to me privately when she arrived, and I didn't want to say anything until I had seen for myself."

"They don't know?" Lucy whispered, unable to imagine how bad their homecoming was going to be…Erza and Natsu were precious to everyone in the guild, and everyone had known the pair of them much longer than she had. She jumped violently when a cold hand grasped her shoulder and she turned to find Gray stood beside her, his eyes understanding as he glanced down at her before reaching out to grasp her hand before pressing both of their hands against Natsu's.

"Let's take Natsu home."

FTFT


	5. Chapter 4

Thank you for the amazing reviews, follows and favourites!

Disclaimer: Fairy Tail and its awesome characters don't belong to me, I'm just borrowing them.

FTFT

The next day – Late evening:

There was usually a sense of relief and contentment when they arrived back at the guild hall after a job, knowing that they were safely at home and with the anticipation of the celebrations that were come. However, this time both Lucy and Gray felt a heavy weight pressing against them as they paused to stare up at the guild, knowing that just on the other side of the heavy doors were their unsuspecting nakama who had no idea of what had happened. Who were right now likely to be laughing and chatting away, unaware of the storm about to break upon them and neither of them could find the strength to take those final steps up to the guildhall.

Makarov glanced up as he realised that the pair had stopped, pain lancing through him as he took in their expressions and wishing that he could do something…anything to erase the looks of grief and hopelessness on their faces, even though he knew that his own expression was exactly the same. Turning his own attention to the doors he too felt the unusual reluctance to approach the guildhall, however, he knew that they couldn't linger out here for much longer and the rest of the guild deserved to hear what had happened even if it would hurt them.

"Let's get Natsu inside," he ordered softly as he stepped between them, glancing at the unconscious fire-mage cradled protectively against Gray's chest as he did so, the Ice Mage having refused to allow anyone else to move Natsu or to use something as impersonal as a stretcher now that it would no longer endanger him. "I want you to take him upstairs and get him settled…I'll tell the others about what happened". There was no way either of the teens were in any condition to face the rest of the guild mates for a prolonged period of time, especially once they knew what had happened.

FT

It was startling how fast the silence had spread through the every noisy hall as everyone's attention swung around to see who had entered, unspoken relief spreading through the room as they realised Makarov was back after his abrupt departure a couple of days ago. Although the relief began to fade as they all eyed the haggard appearance of the two teens flanking him, and the aged expression on his face.

"Natsu…" Mira whispered as she was the first to spot the limp Dragon-Slayer that Gray was cradling against himself, her eyes widening in horror as she took in the terrible physical state that the pink-haired teen was in. The glass she was cleaning dropped from suddenly nerveless hands, and the sound of glass breaking broke the stunned silence that had enveloped the guild as everyone realised that something had gone terribly wrong.

"What happened to him?" Macao demanded worriedly as his eyes roved over the unconscious Dragon-slayer, his expression darkening as Makarov slowly met his gaze, and unease settled in as he saw the deep grief in the Old Man's eyes and he automatically reached out to grab Mira as she made to move towards the group ignoring her startled protest.

"Master?" Elfman asked uncertainly as he glanced between Makarov and Macao, hastily moving to his sister's side as he saw the tears that were already beginning to form in her eyes and feeling his own eyes beginning to burn.

"Where's Erza?" Cana spoke up realising that the red-headed re-quip was missing, her eyes narrowing in alarm as grief flickered over their faces and Happy let out a small sob as he pressed closer to Lucy who silently reached down to scoop the cat up.

"Take Natsu upstairs," Makarov ordered softly glancing at them, and Gray and Lucy immediately moved to obey, for once desperate to be out of the guild hall and away from their nakama especially as they could feel the realisation that was slowly spreading through the gathered mages. "Everyone else," he paused his heart heavy as he glanced around at the gathered guild members who had instantly swung their attention back to him, wishing that there was some way for him to bear this grief for them. "I have some bad news…"

FT

Half an Hour later:

After passing on the news of what had happened to both Erza and Natsu, and explaining what was being done to help the red-haired mage (too much derision from the wiser members that realised just how little the Council cared for their guild) Makarov carefully excused himself. Whilst he wanted to stand by them as he watched them pass into various states of grief and shock, he knew that of all of them it was the four upstairs that needed him the most at that moment in time.

The rest of the mages were barely aware of his disappearance as they tried to wrap their heads around what he had just said, the situation feeling unreal as they gazed at one another in shock and horror.

"She can't be gone," Cana muttered as she stared blankly into her unusually untouched mug of bear, tears glittering in her eyes but refusing to fall as she tried to deny what their Master had told them. "She can't…" She trailed off this time unable to finish the denial as a choked sob welled up in her, and seconds later she was pulled against a warm body. A brief glimpse of white material and the familiar smell of burnt cinnamon telling her it was Macao that had wrapped her in a hug, and despite herself she allowed herself to slump into his hold as finally she lost her hold on her tears.

"Shhh let it out," he encouraged his own voice thick with emotion, and when she risked a quick glance up she was unsurprised to find tears trickling down his face as well. After all he had been with the guild since before either she or Erza had joined, had watched as they grew up and surpassed him, treating them as though they were his own children and she knew that although he wouldn't show it any more than he currently was but he was breaking inside. She tightened her hold on him as she realised that he would have the added burden of going home to tell Romeo what had happened, his little boy was going to be devastated,.

Beside them Mira had long since dissolved into silent weeping, her face pressed into her Brother's chest as he held her close, his own expression a mask of grief as he tried fruitlessly to comfort her. For both of them the scenes of grief surrounding them were far too familiar, and it brought barely buried memories close to the surface and this time there was no excitable Dragon-Slayer to help push through them.

The rest of the guild was quiet, even those mages that were less familiar with Erza and Natsu on a familiar level were shocked by the news and none of them dared break the tense atmosphere that had settled over the room when Makarov disappeared upstairs.

"Did you see how bad Natsu looked though?" Wakaba commented quietly as he turned worried eyes towards the stairs that led upstairs, and the atmosphere in the main hall darkened even more as the truth of his question sank in. It was a frequent occurrence for Natsu and the rest of his team to return heavily bandaged, after all they always seemed to stumble into one misadventure after another, but they had never seen Natsu look so bad and vulnerable.

"He'll be okay," Macao replied softly, his own eyes moving to the stairway and there was a stifling feeling in his chest as the image of Natsu lying helpless in Gray's arms flashed through his mind. "He has to be."

FTFT

Upstairs Makarov had been relieved to find that Porlysuica had already arrived and was already busy at work on Natsu who had been settled in the far corner of the infirmary. Silently he moved to stand next to the two teens that were watching her every move with anxious eyes, none of them daring to say a word as the healer was notorious for her dislike of being disrupted by anxious watchers and fearful of drawing necessary attention away from Natsu.

For Makarov it was the first time that he had got a clear view of Natsu's injuries and he found himself gritting his teeth in sympathy as he watched Porlysuica change the seemingly never-ending reams of bandages with gentle hands. His eyes narrowed at the sight of the magical burns marring tanned skin, knowing just how powerful the magic had to have been to break through Natsu's natural resistance and he found himself wishing with all his might that he could have borne those wounds for the teen.

"There is little else I can do for him," Porlysuica admitted with a sigh when she had finished changing all the bandages, and from the frown on her face it was clear that she was frustrated by that admission and her voice was terse as she continued. "The healer who tended his wounds did everything she could, aside from changing the bandages we have to leave it up to him now." She glanced across at Makarov and winced at the sorrow that was written across his face, although he nodded in understanding and acceptance as he caught her glance and her expression darkened as she saw him burying his sorrow so the children wouldn't see it…such things would only make his own health worse and she sighed realising that she would need to talk to him before she could even think of heading home.

"Then we just have to wait?" Lucy asked heavily, realising just how much hope she had pinned on the older woman being able to help bring Natsu back to her as she felt herself sinking into the chair beside the Fire mage's bed. Quietly Gray stepped to her sat and reached out to lay a hand gently on her shoulder and squeezed softly, however, when she glanced up into his eyes they held the same disappointment that she was sure was showing in her eyes and she reached up to lay her hand on top of his.

"I'm afraid so," Porlysuica said softly, somehow unable to summon her usual snarky attitude in the face of their disappointment and not with Makarov watching with such darkness in his eyes. She turned her gaze back to the Dragon-slayer, carefully schooling her expression into blankness as she stared down at him – his injuries were grave and she wasn't confident that he could come back from them, but there was no way she was going to voice that in front of his family.

"Then we'll wait," Gray said simply as he met Lucy's gaze again for a second before turning his eyes towards Natsu. "We'll wait as long as it takes," he added in an even softer voice so that only the Celestial mage heard his words and she nodded in agreement, knowing that there was no way either of them could cope if they let themselves lose faith in Natsu.

"He would do the same for us," she added weakly and they all knew it was true, Natsu was too stubborn to ever give up on one of his friends, and there was no way they could do anything less.

FTFT

The next morning:

Lucy sighed softly as she slipped into the infirmary only to be met by the familiar sight of Natsu's still form on the bed, and she found herself having to close her eyes against the sting of tears in her eyes.

"He wouldn't want you to cry," the soft voice made her jump violently, her eyes widening as she looked up to find Gray watching her with a sad expression from where he was sat on the far side of their friend's bed. She was about to snap back that it wasn't her fault when she realised that his eyes were red-rimmed and her words died on the tip of her tongue, and she quietly moved across the room.

"Sorry," she murmured as she reached them, unsure of whether she apologising to Gray or Natsu although her eyes were fixed on the latter as she spoke, searching desperately for any hint to indicate that he was coming back to them.

"Porlysuica popped in a while ago and checked his injuries, she says they're doing well and that his temperature is going back to normal," Gray said softly as he watched what she was doing and seeing the disappointment in her eyes when she couldn't see any visible change, but at his words she reached down to brush a hand against Natsu's cheek, her face relaxing minutely as she felt the heat burning beneath her fingers.

"I never realised how much I was missing his warmth," she whispered finally turning to look at Gray and he nodded in understanding, shuddering as he remembered how cold Natsu had felt at the beach, and silently making his mind up never to complain about the other's temperature again when he woke up. "You should go and get some rest, you've been here all night," she added as she realised just how exhausted he looked, and feeling guilty for listening to him when he had chased her off to rest just after midnight after the third time she'd nearly fallen out of her chair due to dozing off.

"You're right," Gray admitted with a sigh as a yawn fought its way free, although he hesitated before getting to his feet, his eyes fixed on Natsu before he sighed in defeat. Having two pairs of eyes on him instead of one hadn't made a difference yet and he knew that Lucy would fetch him if Natsu so much as twitched and he was absolutely exhausted. "I'll go and have a shower and a nap, fetch me if anything changes."

"Of course," Lucy reassured him as she moved to reclaim her seat from the night before, and after another minute of hesitation Gray turned and headed for the door, the prospect of a cool shower and bed suddenly sounding like heaven.

"Lucy," he called pausing in the doorway as he recalled the idea that had popped into his head in the early hours and she immediately turned to look at him curiously. "Would you be okay if I popped out this afternoon? I want to go up to Fairy Hills." For a moment there was confusion on her face and then understanding dawned and her expression tightened.

"Will you be okay?" She asked worriedly, knowing how badly his last solo trip had turned out and not wanting him to add to his burden.

"Who knows, but you'll be okay?" He knew that he was avoiding the question and from the knowing glint in her eyes she had realised it as well, and he let out a soft sigh of relief when she finally nodded in response to his question, having clearly decided not to call him on it. With a muttered thanks he quickly slipped out of the room before she could change her mind about it.

FTFT

That afternoon:

Gray hesitated for a moment as he stared up at the Fairy Hills dormitory, his chest constricting as he recalled the numerous times they had come out here to visit Erza and it hurt to know that he wasn't going to walk in and find her there working on her numerous armours. He was tempted to turn around so that he could avoid that sight, but he knew that all waited for him back at the Guild was the increasingly heavy atmosphere in the infirmary and he sighed as he realised that there was nowhere to escape to at the moment that wasn't associated with either of his friends.

Summoning his courage he walked up the last bit of the path and knocked on the door, a weak smile trying to break through as he recalled the time Natsu had walked in without knocking and had subsequently been chased down the path by the intimidating matron…the Dragon-slayer had refused to come near the dormitory for several months afterwards, and the matron always glared at him whenever he turned up after that. The smile faded as the door opened and he found himself staring into the weathered face on the matron, wincing as her expression saddened as she looked at him.

"Come in Gray," she said gently and he jolted at the unusual tone of voice before quietly stepping inside, suddenly unable to think of anything to say and he stared when she grasped his arm. "Master Makarov said that you might be dropping by and asked that I give you this," she explained as she gently pressed a key into his hand, and his eyes widened as he realised it was a key.

"Is this…?"

"The key to Erza's room," she said with a nod and his heart clenched at the mention of her name, his eyes burning again as he curled his fingers around the cool metal. "That room belongs to her, I have no intention of touching it or allowing anyone else to move in," her voice was thick as she continued and when he glanced up he was stunned to find tears rolling down her face, and uncertainly he stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her, tightening his hold as she began to sob.

He was unable to deny the relief that her words had caused, as he'd had visions of them trying to take over the room and as foolish as it sounded it felt like losing that room was almost as good as losing Erza.

FT

Half an hour later:

The door opened easily and he froze in the doorway, pain lancing him at the silence that met him and he shrank in on himself for a moment before forcing himself to step into the room. It was painfully her…the entire room was a random mixture of girlishness and armoury and everywhere he looked he caught a glimpse of his friend…from the paintings on the wall that she had commandeered from Reedus over the years, to the pile of old training weapons in the corner to the fancy cake-stand on the counter that he and Natsu had clubbed together to buy her for Christmas a few years ago.

Feeling numb he moved across the room, his fingers trailing over random items as he moved across to gaze at the paintings and letting the memories wash over him. There was the picture of Erza from when she had returned triumphant from her S-class exam a broad grin on her face and he remembered how both he and Natsu had sworn that they would catch up to her when they saw that grin. Another photo showed them all as children running around in the snow enjoying a rare day of no fighting or work, and even Erza had discarded her usual seriousness and was in the process of chasing Mira across the road. Another was of Erza and Lucy sat chatting happily in the guild, a large slab of cake sat in front of the former.

Quickly he turned and moved on as he felt himself beginning to lose his weak hold over his emotions, and he found his attention being drawn to the part of her room that had been set up as a workshop area for her to work on her armours on the few occasions that they were damaged enough to need more than a brief clean-up. For some reason though the sight and smells of her armour was the final push he needed and he let out a noise that was half-sob, half-growl as his emotions began to burst out of him.

"Damn it Erza!" He ground out feeling the burn of tears as he trailed a hand down a suit of armour that had been set up to be repaired, realising that there was a chance it would never be restored to its pristine condition, and that knowledge brought bile to his mouth. "This isn't how it's meant to be! You're meant to be here with us, yelling at me and Natsu, enjoying your cheesecake and hanging out with Lucy!" He dropped to his knees as his tirade ended, drawing in heavy breaths as he tried to calm himself, surprised that no one had come running at his outburst but guessing the matron had told them to let him be.

He wasn't sure how long he'd sat slumped on the ground and in all honesty he couldn't bring himself to care, but eventually he forced himself to stand, knowing that he needed to get back before Lucy began to worry. Sighing he glanced around the room, wondering what it was that he had hoped to achieve by coming here as all it seemed to have done was drag up old memories that now felt like salt being rubbed into a wound as he was once again confronted by the reality of the situation.

Shaking his head at his own foolishness he turned on his heel and headed out the door, carefully closing it and locking it before slipping the key into his pocket, knowing that at some point he would end up here again…and he prayed that it wasn't to sort through her stuff if the worst to happen. That thought chilled him and he shivered before he turned and practically ran down the corridor, suddenly desperate to get away from the place, and he barely managed to mutter a quick farewell to the Matron as he shot out of the front door at a dead run.

FTFT

That evening:

Makarov sighed as he tossed aside yet another book before reaching up to rub at his forehead, trying to ease out the headache that had formed after hours of reading through the pile of books he had gathered from their library in the hopes of finding even a slight clue as to how they could help Erza. He had contacted everyone he was on friendly or neutral terms with and they were in the process of searching their own archives for him, but for now he had to make do with what he had on hand…so far it was far from encouraging.

Etherion was poorly understood at best, as no-one really knew what having all those different kinds of magic would do outside of its intended use and there were only a handful of occasions when the weapon had been used in the past. He had known all this before he started, but he had not let it sink in and now he was being forced to face the reality of the situation as he stared down at the single page of notes he had managed to make…and all of them useless in terms of actually helping Erza.

With a frustrated groan he got to his feet and headed for the door, he needed a break from the fruitless research and it had been a few hours since he'd last checked on Natsu and although he knew that Gray or Lucy would have fetched him if anything changed he wanted to check on the fire mage with his own eyes.

FT

Quietly he slipped into the infirmary unsurprised to find both Lucy, Gray and Happy spread around Natsu's bed although they had all given into their exhaustion at some point, and he found himself wincing slightly at the positions they had wound up in – only Happy seemed comfortable where he was curled up pressed to Natsu's side. Closing the door quietly behind him, he moved across to the bed being careful not to make any noise as he knew none of them had rested much over the last few days.

Natsu was unmoving in the centre of the bed, only the rise and fall of his chest indicating that he lived and Makarov felt a little bit of his heart break all over again. At this moment in time even the slightest of movements would have been a welcome sign amongst the unnatural stillness, and he found his eyes desperately roving over the mage in the hopes of catching the faintest twitch even though he knew it was a pointless endeavour. The only sign that anything had changed in the teen's condition was the slight hint of colour that had returned to Natsu's face, although it was still a far cry from his normal healthy colour and Makarov knew that if he reached and touched the Fire mage's skin he would find it slowly returning to its normal heat.

Little signs and although he knew that he should be encouraged, he couldn't help but wish for more. Sighing he moved forward and settled in the spare chair at the end of the bed, guessing that someone else had been up to visit as Lucy had told him earlier that their other friend's had begun to pop in and visit Natsu although no one was able to stay long, unnerved by the sight of their Salamander laid so low and he couldn't really blame them.

Glancing across at the two sleeping teens he settled himself more comfortably into the seat as he prepared to take over the vigil knowing that they were worried about leaving Natsu unsupervised but realising that if they didn't get some proper rest then they would end up making themselves ill. He knew that he should be in his office working on Erza's situation, but as his gaze shifted back to Natsu he couldn't bring himself to regret the decision to sit with the fire mage for a while.

"Come home to us Natsu."

FTFT


	6. Chapter 5

Thank you for the amazing reviews, follows and favourites.

Disclaimer: As always Fairy Tail and its amazing characters don't belong to me, I'm just borrowing them.

FTFT

A Week later:

It had been a long, seemingly never-ending week since Makarov had broken the news of what had happened to the guild and a grim mood had taken hold. Barely any jobs had been accepted since the news had broken and for once the noticeboard was overflowing with requests, but not even could find himself to look at them, there was an unspoken fear that something else might happen if they left the guild…and eyes would flicker nervously to the stairway whenever that thought popped up.

With the exception of Gray, Lucy and Happy no one had seen Natsu since he had first been whisked upstairs but it was well known that nothing had changed yet, and the guild could only watch in silence as the trio occasionally came and went with pale, drawn expressions and an unwillingness to talk about what was happening. The only updates they received were on the few occasions that Makarov was able to pull himself away from either sitting with the Dragon-slayer or the piles of papers and books he had buried himself in, in the hopes of finding anything that would help Erza…and whilst they understood why they were all distracted, it only increased the atmosphere of concern and resulted in the old man being leapt on whenever he ventured downstairs.

FT

Cana had been the only person that had ventured away from the guild during this time, and that had only been because she had gone to see Erza, refusing to believe that there was nothing they could do to help. She had come back silent and grim-faced and silently drunk herself into a stupor with a speed that no-one had ever witnessed before, and nobody could bring themselves to ask her what had happened. The only thing that really mattered was that Erza was still gone, and the ever growing possibility that they might lose Natsu too if something didn't change soon.

The Strauss siblings had been the quietest since the news was broken, and neither strayed far from the other as they waited with quiet desperation for any news on Natsu. The loss of Mira's warm smile and gentle chatter cut the guild to the core more than any other reaction, and it only served to highlight what else had been lost with Erza and Natsu. It was only now that it was dawning on the guild how much they relied on the pair of teenagers to fill the guild with life and laughter, and no-one was sure how to fill the sudden void that had appeared…or if it was even possible for the void to be repaired if the worst should happen.

Macao was also conspicuous with his frequent absences from the guild, although he made sure to pop in a couple of times a day to check for updates on Natsu's condition. When Wakaba asked him about his absence he had quietly explained that he was staying home with Romeo, as the boy had fallen apart at the news that his hero was so badly injured… He had brought Romeo with him once, the day after Natsu had been brought home and even the most hardened mages in the guild had been silenced by the heartbroken expression he had been sporting especially when Makarov had, had to explain in a gentle voice that he couldn't see Natsu until he was doing better…needless to say, that news hadn't gone across well and Romeo had left in floods of tears.

FT

In the far corner of the guild Juvia and Gajeel sat together in total silence, watching as their new guild went to pieces around them. The former watching with more than a little guilt, knowing that the others were aware that she had been involved in the events at the tower and although Makarov had made it plain that she had fought for their nakama she could still detect some suspicion in the glances that were shot her way. It didn't help either that she was consumed with worry over Gray, as the few times she'd managed to catch a glimpse of him, he'd looked so broken and lost that she had just wanted to hold him and make it all go away.

Gajeel on the other hand was unsure of what to make of the entire situation, having arrived a couple of days after the news had been broken, still stunned by the fact that Makarov had even bothered to seek him and out and offer him a place to belong. That feeling had only deepened when he realised the Old Man had sought him out at Juvia's request despite what was already happening with the guild. So far his presence had been largely ignored, and he knew part of that was a result of what was happening with the Titania as he'd more than expected people to react badly to him joining the guild.

Crimson eyes narrowed as they drifted to the stairway in contemplation, even from here he could pick up the faint traces of the Salamander's sent underlain with the coppery tang of blood and a strange mixture of magical scents. It bothered him more than he would ever admit out loud to have his rival Dragon-slayer laid low, and he refused to acknowledge that what he was feeling was concern…he was just disappointed that he wasn't going to get chance to pay the Salamander back for his defeat as quickly as he'd hoped.

FTFT

The next day:

_Natsu reached out desperately as Erza began to float away from him, terror lending him strength as he fought against the waves trying to pull her away, and yet despite his best efforts he never seemed to get any closer. Tears were streaming down his cheeks and his voice had long since turned hoarse from screaming out her name, and yet he still fought to reach her, uncaring of the pain that was flaring through him as the magic trying to steal her from him lashed out at him._

"_Erza…"_

FT

Lucy and Gray leaned forward as they caught the brief movement out of the corner of their eye, their previous quiet conversation completely forgotten as they waited with baited breath, only to be rewarded by the Dragon-slayer shifting slightly again a moment later. It was only a slight furrowing of his brow and a brief twitch of his arm, but after the unnerving stillness that had enveloped him since the tower it was beautiful sight and they exchanged hopeful looks, their eyes brighter than they had been for days.

"Natsu? Natsu can you hear us?" Lucy called hopefully, reaching out to carefully grasp his hand still mindful of the healing injuries hidden beneath the bandages, her eyes tracing every contour of his face as it contorted once more.

"Natsu open your eyes!" Gray ordered, hoping that if nothing else his tone of voice would get a rise out of the hot-headed teen, although he knew that the worry and hope were too clear in his voice for anyone to be fooled. The Dragon-slayer twitched again and seemed to make a half-hearted attempt to roll over before pain flashed briefly across his pace and he abruptly stilled once more, a frown still marring his forehead.

"Natsu…" Lucy whispered as they waited hopefully for any further moment, but as the minutes passed it became clear that he had slipped under once more, and neither of them were able to mask the blatant disappointment on their faces as that realisation hit home. "At least it's a start, and it shows that he's trying to come back to us," Lucy said in a slightly trembling voice as she tried to bolster their spirits and Gray managed a half smile in response, although his eyes were heavy as he focused on Natsu and a grim silence fell over them as they settled back to continue their wait.

FT

Later that evening:

"_Natsu… I can't live without Fairy Tail, I can't even imagine a world without my friends," she was smiling now as she spoke, reaching out to cup his face with surprising gentleness and for some reason that made everything that much worse. How? How could she smile so happily when she was throwing her life away? The burning in his eyes developing into proper tears now as he realised that she wasn't going to back down on this insane idea. "That's how important all of you are to me." _

_He desperately wanted to scream and shout as he watched her slowly beginning to float away from him, and yet some part of him realised that it was already too late…tbat he had already lost her and instead he felt silent tears beginning to trickle down his face and he turned his eyes towards his hands, hoping to stop the image of her disappearing being burnt into his memory and instead he found himself staring at bloodied knuckles with no idea where the injuries had come from._

"_Erza!"_

FT

The next time Natsu showed signs of stirring it was Makarov that was sat with him whilst his friends took a rare break, and the Old Man had never moved as fast as he did as he shot to the boy's side at the first sign of movement. Reaching out to grasp one of Natsu's hands and squeezing it softly and his heart swelled as the bandaged fingers twitched in his hold, and he gently ran a finger over the back of the healing hand.

"Natsu?" He asked hopefully, aware that this might be another false alarm after hearing what the teens had said but he couldn't help but pray that this might be different especially when Natsu shifted more violently a moment later. "Natsu I know you're in there, you need to come back to us," he called and he couldn't keep the desperation out of his voice, knowing that it was much more than that. The whole guild wanted no…needed Natsu to come back to them and he felt guilty for placing that kind of expectation onto the teen's shoulders, and yet his words seemed to trigger a reaction as Natsu shifted uneasily with a low noise that was barely more than a whimper.

It took several minutes of small movements before Natsu's forehead creased into a frown, and Makarov found himself leaning forward encouragingly as the teen's eyelids twitched and ever so slowly the olive eyes crept open. The Dragon-slayer couldn't seem to force them past half-mast, and it was clear from the hazy and unfocused look in his eyes that Natsu still wasn't fully aware of what was happening but it was still a beautiful sight.

"Natsu? Can you hear me?" Makarov asked gently hoping to gain the teen's attention and it seemed to work as slowly the half-open eyes drifted in his direction although they were clearly failing to focus properly. For a moment they threatened to drift shut and his heart leapt into his mouth, but before he could do anything to try and keep Natsu awake the Dragon-slayer had forced them back to their current half-open state before weakly opening his mouth.

"Er…za," it took a couple of attempts before he could force the syllables out and even then it was barely even a whisper, and Makarov winced as he realised what Natsu was saying and he felt his eyes beginning to burn at the idea of having to break the news to Natsu when he was in this state.

However, the effort of waking and saying that simple word had clearly drained whatever strength Natsu had managed to scrounge up and before he could even work out what to say to the teen, the Dragon-slayer's eyes had slid shut once more and this time they didn't open again. Makarov sighed in disappointment as he slowly let himself slip back into the seat, knowing that such broken awakenings were to be expected given the gravity of the mage's injuries, but that knowledge didn't help when they were all so desperate for Natsu to come back to them.

"Natsu…"

FTFT

Two days later:

_As he watched Erza being pulled away from him yet again he was aware that he had seen this scene before, and somewhere deep inside he knew what the outcome was going to be and yet he couldn't stop himself from throwing his body at the lacrima in desperation. Part of him knew that she would want him to go and escape from the rapidly collapsing tower, but there was no way he could leave her…she hated being on her own no matter what she said to the contrary. _

"_Erza!" He slammed his fists against the lacrima once more, not heeding the blood beginning to trickle free from freshly broken skin and barely aware of the magic lashing around him. "ERRRRRRRRRRZZAAA!"_

FT

Gray sighed wearily as he glanced up from the book he had been working his way through to check on Natsu, it had been two days since the Dragon-slayer had roused enough to open his eyes and say Erza's name. The Fire mage had made small, infrequent movements over the course of the last two days and every time they had hoped that he was coming back to them, but he never quite managed to pull himself out of the unconsciousness. That in itself was disappointing enough, but it didn't help that Porlysuica seemed to look more worried each time she examined him, even though his wounds were slowly on the mend.

His eyes flickered over the other's pale face and he was just about to turn back to his riding when a small movement caught his eye, and instead the book found itself being unceremoniously tossed on the floor as Gray darted to the bed. For a long moment there was nothing but stillness and he was worried that maybe he had just imagined it, but then there was a small whimper and his eyes narrowed as pain flashed across Natsu's face as he stirred slightly. Remembering what Gramps had said about Natsu's last waking the Ice mage hastily grasped one of the Fire mage's hands, squeezing it gently to let the other teen know he wasn't alone.

"Natsu it's time to wake up now," he called softly and he was rewarded by Natsu's head turning ever so slightly in his direction, a frown creasing his forehead as his eyelids began to flutter slightly. "That's it open your eyes for me," he encouraged, unable to keep the slight edge of desperation out of his voice, terrified that Natsu might slip back under again and unsure of whether he would be able to bear it. It was only the hope that Natsu was coming back to them that had given him the strength to keep going over the last week.

With painstaking slowness the Dragon-slayer's movements began to increase in both frequency and strength, and Gray kept up a constant stream of encouragement the whole time, wishing that he could fetch Lucy and Happy to help him but terrified to pull away now when Natsu seemed to be finally coming back to them. Instead he moved his free hand up to gently stoke his fingers against a pale cheek, earning a faint twitch from the Fire mage before he subtly began to lean into the touch, his eyelids fluttering more often now.

It took several more minutes before Natsu finally managed to achieve the final step of forcing his eyes open, and Gray felt his knees threatening to buckle under the force of the relief flooding through him. It was clear that the Dragon-slayer was still exhausted as he blinked heavily, clearly struggling to keep his eyes open as his gaze slowly began to clear and a small, but true smile spread across the Ice mage's face as hazy olive eyes slowly drifted up to meet his gaze.

"Hey…welcome back," he said softly not wanting to startle the other, and the relief was clear in his voice and despite his lingering concern he felt the smile widening. Suddenly all their doubts and fears from the last few days seemed utterly ridiculous, they should have known that the Fire mage would come back to them without fail, he was too stubborn to do anything else.

FT

Natsu blinked wearily as he slowly allowed his gaze to drift around the room, his memories slowly sorting themselves out in his mind and he felt everything stutter to a stop as his dream…no memory of Erza floating away reared to the front of his thoughts. Frantically he turned his head, gaze flicking from bed to bed in the desperate hope that he would be granted a glimpse of scarlet hair, but he already knew that it was a false hope and he could feel everything beginning to fracture around him.

Slowly he turned his attention back to Gray who was watching his actions with a curious expression and opened his mouth, needing to ask as the last little flicker of hope whispered that maybe just maybe she was safe…However, he couldn't seem to force the words past his lips and in the end he was forced to mouth her name and pray that the Ice Mage would be able to understand what he was asking.

It took a brief second for Gray to recognize what word the Dragon-slayer was mouthing at him, and once he did he wished that he hadn't. There was no way that Natsu was in any state to hear this news, and yet he knew that the other teen wouldn't let him out of answering and he found himself closing his eyes briefly as he tried to brace himself to break the news. Taking a deep breath he reopened them, but as he turned his gaze back to Natsu he realised that his actions had rendered any words unnecessary and he went cold as he watched Natsu's eyes fill with a heart-breaking mix of grief, horror and worst of all guilt…they had known that Natsu was likely to blame himself, but he hadn't expected them to be faced with that so soon.

Frantically he tried to think of something…anything that he could say that might ease the other's suffering, but he found his mind devoid of ideas as he watched Natsu slowly turn his head away as tears began to leak silently down his face.

"Natsu…" Gray started knowing that he had to say something, but he found himself unable to continue, after all how could he comfort Natsu when he hadn't even been able to begun to handle his own emotions?

"Gray?" Both mages jumped violently as Lucy's voice rang out through the room and Gray automatically reached out to settle Natsu, his expression becoming shuttered as the Fire mage shrank back from his touch with wild eyes darting from him to Lucy who had frozen in the doorway as she realised that Natsu was really awake. "Natsu…?" Her question was echoed a second later by Happy who had appeared at her ankles, his eyes wide as he stared at Natsu before a wide smile spread across his face, although it disappeared a moment later when the Dragon-slayer silently shifted over so that he was facing away from them.

Gray could see the hurt on their faces, but a small part of him was relieved to see that Natsu's reaction to them had been no better than the reaction to him, although he immediately felt guilty for that thought as he saw Happy's eyes beginning to shine suspiciously. Silently he glanced back down at Natsu, somewhat surprised to see that the Fire mage was still awake although he was staring at the wall with hooded eyes and he sighed, realising that this was more out of their league than he had expected.

Reluctantly he stepped away from the bed and headed for the other two who were still hovering in the doorway, their initial relief having rapidly vanished in the face of Natsu's reactions and the heavy atmosphere lying over the room.

"What happened?" Lucy asked quietly when he reached them, carefully keeping her voice low even though she knew Natsu was fully capable of hearing her.

"He asked about…Erza," Gray replied just as softly, hesitating over the Re-quip mage's name as he had done ever since the Tower and Lucy's eyes darkened with pain and understanding as her gaze went back to Natsu, catching the shudder that went through him as he caught their words. "He remembers…he knows." He didn't need to add how Natsu was reacting to that knowledge as it was clear from both his own expression and the Dragon-slayer's actions, and Lucy closed her eyes for a moment as her heart went out to her best friend.

"Stay with him?" Gray asked needlessly and the pair nodded silently, there was no way that they were going to leave Natsu alone when he had finally managed to come back to them and especially not with his current state of mind. "I'm going to get Gramps. Try and get him to drink something," he added with a concerned frown as he glanced back at Natsu, remembering how the other teen had desperately mouthed Erza's name when he was unable to force the words out.

"We will," Lucy promised, and Gray nodded in thanks before slipping past them and out of the door and leaving the pair to exchange worried looks before cautiously heading towards the bed.

FTFT

Natsu stared blankly at the wall, barely aware of the fact that Lucy and Happy were sat by his side, one of his hands cradled gently in the Celestial mage's as she spoke to him quietly. However, the words couldn't make it pass the rushing sound that was filling his ears as he lost himself in the memory of what had happened in the tower. His heart breaking as the sight of Erza floating away from replayed over and over in his mind, and each time he failed to catch her, failed to stop her and he could feel himself slowly shattering inside as he realised that his failure was the reason she wasn't there right now.

"Natsu, whatever happened inside the tower we know it wasn't your fault," Lucy murmured softly but there was a desperate edge to her voice when nothing she said produced a reaction, his gaze never shifting from the wall in front of him, and the dead look in his eyes scared even more than his stillness over the past week and half had. "Please listen to me, it wasn't your fault!" She said more firmly this time when there was no sign of reaction and she felt fear welling up inside her…he was completely shutting them out; they hadn't even managed to get him to drink like Gray had asked.

"Natsu," Happy whimpered glancing between the pair with teary eyes, before tentively reaching out to lay a paw on top of the pairs' joined hands, a low mew of distress escaping as he felt Natsu flinch underneath his touch and he hastily retreated, unsure of how to get through to his partner who suddenly felt a million miles away even though he was lying right in front of them.

FTFT

Gray could feel himself beginning to fall apart once more as he hurried down the corridor to Makarov's office, praying that he wouldn't run into anyone else on the way, as he was sure even the most innocent question or comment would open the floodgates and he couldn't let that happen before letting their Master know about Natsu. Reaching the office he didn't even bother to knock as he burst inside, and despite himself he was impressed at the speed with which the old man responded to his abrupt entry.

"Gray? What is it? What's wrong?" Makarov demanded as soon as he realised who had interrupted him, unease flooding him as he took how pale and upset the Ice Mage looked and he unconsciously climbed to his feet the papers he had been working through already forgotten. "Gray?" He prompted when the teen failed to respond, and he realised from a quick glance into onyx eyes that Gray was the verge of falling apart and hastily he made his way across to the teen's side.

With gentle hands he guided the unresisting Ice Mage into one of the chairs in front of his desk, letting his magic out to play as he tried to fill the air with as comforting atmosphere as possible although it was hard when he could feel the dread stirring in his gut.

"Natsu…he woke up…properly this time," Gray finally managed to mumble and Makarov's eyes widened and for a brief second relief flooded him at the news, but then his expression dropped as he realised that there was no relief or happiness in the teen's voice even though this was the news they had been waiting for. "He…He remembered…He knew what had happened…" There was no need for him to say anything else, as it was clear from his expression and broken words how Natsu had reacted and Makarov closed his eyes, sharing his children's pain before he slowly got to his feet.

"Stay here," he ordered softly, able to see that Gray was clearly on the verge of losing the very thin bit of control he still had over his emotions and knowing that the independent-minded teen would prefer to be alone when that happened. The fact that the Ice mage made no attempt to protest cemented the fact that he had been right in his assumptions, and without saying anything else he headed for the door…he had a Dragon-slayer to see.

FTFT

Then next update should be quicker…I hope


End file.
